Linux Memory Allocation: malloc, brk, mmap, and RSS
Use a reproducible program, /proc, and strace to inspect how glibc malloc uses brk, mmap, and madvise, and why RSS may stay high after free.
Category archive
Systems
7 practical articles on Systems, covering setup, troubleshooting, and production decisions.
More topics
Other topics
Selected pieces
Featured in this category
Linux x86-64 Function Calls: Stack Frames, ABI, and GDB
Use a reproducible C program and GDB session to inspect SysV AMD64 arguments, call/ret, stack frames, unwinding, PIE addresses, and optimization.
Linux Dynamic Linking: GOT, PLT, Lazy Binding, and dlopen
A walkthrough into how Linux dynamically links shared libraries at runtime — PIC, GOT, PLT, lazy binding, gdb tracing, and the real cost of -fPIC.
Linux Stack Overflow Protection: Canaries, NX, ASLR, PIE, and RELRO
Build and inspect a reproducible Linux binary to understand Stack Canaries, FORTIFY, NX, Stack Clash protection, ASLR, PIE, RELRO, and CET.
Linux Heap Memory: Arenas, Chunks, Bins, and Tcache
Use a reproducible glibc malloc experiment to separate real leaks, allocator caching, fragmentation, and RSS retention across Arenas, Chunks, Bins, and Tcache.
Linux cgroups: V1, V2, CPU Throttling, and OOM Debugging
Debug Linux cgroup V1 and V2 with cpu.stat, memory.events, PSI, and Kubernetes resource settings to explain CPU throttling, reclaim, and OOM kills.
Archive
All posts in this category
All posts in reverse chronological order.
Linux Memory Allocation: malloc, brk, mmap, and RSS
Use a reproducible program, /proc, and strace to inspect how glibc malloc uses brk, mmap, and madvise, and why RSS may stay high after free.
Linux x86-64 Function Calls: Stack Frames, ABI, and GDB
Use a reproducible C program and GDB session to inspect SysV AMD64 arguments, call/ret, stack frames, unwinding, PIE addresses, and optimization.
Linux Dynamic Linking: GOT, PLT, Lazy Binding, and dlopen
A walkthrough into how Linux dynamically links shared libraries at runtime — PIC, GOT, PLT, lazy binding, gdb tracing, and the real cost of -fPIC.
Linux Stack Overflow Protection: Canaries, NX, ASLR, PIE, and RELRO
Build and inspect a reproducible Linux binary to understand Stack Canaries, FORTIFY, NX, Stack Clash protection, ASLR, PIE, RELRO, and CET.
Linux Heap Memory: Arenas, Chunks, Bins, and Tcache
Use a reproducible glibc malloc experiment to separate real leaks, allocator caching, fragmentation, and RSS retention across Arenas, Chunks, Bins, and Tcache.
Linux cgroups: V1, V2, CPU Throttling, and OOM Debugging
Debug Linux cgroup V1 and V2 with cpu.stat, memory.events, PSI, and Kubernetes resource settings to explain CPU throttling, reclaim, and OOM kills.
ELF Files: Sections, Segments, Relocations, and Dynamic Linking
Understand ELF files from sections and segments to relocations and dynamic linking, with concrete examples for debugging Linux binaries and loader issues.